1252 Second Book of Machabees
for the welfare of his country, but in hopes that
he should be appointed chief ruler.
4 But the King of kings stirred up the mind
of Antiochus against the sinner, and upon Lysias
suggesting that he was the cause of all the evils,
he commanded (as the custom is with them) that
he should be apprehended and put to death in
the same place.
5 Now there was in that place a tower fifty
cubits high, having a heap of ashes on every side:
this had a prospect steep down.
6 From thence he commanded the sacrilegious
wretch to be thrown down into the ashes, all men
thrusting him forward unto death.
7 And by such a law it happened that
Menelaus the transgressor of the law, was put
to death: not having so much as burial in the
earth.
8 And indeed very justly, for insomuch as he
had committed many sins against the altar of
God, the fire and ashes of which were holy: he
was condemned to die in ashes.
9 But the king, with his mind full of rage,
came on to shew himself worse to the Jews than
his father was.
10 Which when Judas understood, he com-
manded the people to call upon the Lord day
and night, that as he had always done, so now
also he would help them:
11 Because they were afraid to be deprived of
the law, and of their country, and of the holy
temple: and that he would not suffer the people,
that had of late taken breath for a little while, to
be again in subjection to blasphemous nations.
12 So when they had all done this together,
and had craved mercy of the Lord with weeping
and fasting, lying prostrate on the ground for
three days continually, Judas exhorted them to
make themselves ready.
13 But he, with the ancients, determined be-
fore the king should bring his army into Judea,
and make himself master of the city, to go out,
and to commit the event of the thing to the judg-
ment of the Lord.
14 So committing all to God, the Creator of
the world, and having exhorted his people to
fight manfully, and to stand up even to death
for the laws, the temple, the city, their country,
and citizens: he placed his army about Modin.
15 And having given his company for a watch-
word, The victory of God, with most valiant cho-
sen young men, he set upon the king’s quarter by
night, and slew four thousand men in the camp,
and the greatest of the elephants, with them that
had been upon him,
16 And having filled the camp of the enemies
with exceeding great fear and tumult, they went
off with good success.
17 Now this was done at the break of day, by
the protection and help of thc Lord.
18 But the king having taken a taste of the
hardiness of the Jews, attempted to take the
strong places by policy:
19 And he marched with his army to Beth-
sura, which was a strong hold of the Jews: but
he was repulsed, he failed, he lost his men.
20 Now Judas sent necessaries to them that
were within
21 But Rhodocus, one of the Jews’ army, dis-
closed the secrets to the enemies, so he was
sought out, and taken up, and put iu prison.
22 Again the king treated with them that were
in Bethsura: gave his right hand: took theirs:
and went away.
23 He fought with Judas: and was overcome.
And when he understood that Philip, who had
been left over the affairs, had rebelled at An-
tioch, he was in a consternation of mind, and
intreating the Jews, and yielding to them, he
swore to all things that seemed reasonable, and,